stuck with OS9...help!

[potrick]

So I got to my new job only to find the mac computers I was asked about being able to run during my interview weren't OSX but running OS9 with under 100 megs of ram. I know there's not much hope but I was wondering if there was anything the Ubuntu Forums base could do to help make it suck less...I know nothing about Mac software but OS9 stuff is hard to find.
Happily my laptop is 100%, but I cannot for the life of me get it to access the server.
Anyway, any suggestions about making OS9 bareable? I know I saw a thread about Windows that fixed it up pretty nice, but you all are an intelligent bunch and I know you can help.

I appreciate it.

[ssam]

that is very retro. i suggest you find your self some old books on mac os 9. you will find plenty of iMac for dummys type books in second hand shops. mac os is pretty easy to use, as long as you dont expect it to work exactly like windows/linux/anything else. however it is not very good at multitasking, one application can make the whole system grind to a halt, and one program crashing can bring the whole system down.

netatalk (http://netatalk.sourceforge.net/) lets you do appletalk networking on linux. it is not super easy to use, it takes a bit of editing text config files.

there is a powerpc forum here, where you might find some more people with mac os 9 experience.

[fuscia]

while you're waiting for the machine to do something, you'll have plenty of time to learn how it works.

[@trophy]

Get a copy of OSX for your machine. I had an iMac that originally came with OS8 and Panther ran just fine on it.

[potrick]

Can't really just install a new operating system on a computer that's being used for work. It's not my computer first of all and I need to run OS9 programs, and there's no way a machine this old could handle Classic Mode.

Any suggestions about a web browser?

[fuscia]

Any suggestions about a web browser?

i think dillo works on everything but windows.

[potrick]

Considering that a Google search for "dillo os9" links to this thread first, I'm not so sure about that.

No, seriously:
http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=dillo+os9&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

But I'll look into it.

[A-Sylum]

Ha you have to use a mac!!! ewww!!!
:D

here is a huge list of old mac software i found!!!!

:D

(ignore the crashes warnings and bugs at the end of each software title)

(look for newer versions of this software... but not too new)

* Anarchie 1.6.0 (ftp-client; v2.0.1 crashes)
* AOL 2.6
* AppDisk 1.5 (RAM-disk)
* ApplWindows 2.0.2 (hierarchical app-menu)
* AutoDoubler 1.0
* Basic Black 1.4.1 (minimal screensaver)
* BBEdit 3.5.1 (a great text editor)
* BeHierarchic 1.0.5 (hierarchical apple-menu)
* Black Night 1.0.5 (terminal emulator)
* Canvas 3.5
* ClarisDraw 1.0v3
* ClarisWorks 3.0
* Compact Pro 1.51 (*.cpt and *.hqx coder)
* Disinfectant 3.6 (anti-virus utility)
* Disk Copy 4.2 (handles *.image files)
* DropStuff w/EE 4.0 (a must-have addition to StuffIt Expander)
* Dynodex 3.5
* Easy View 2.62 (setext- and digest-browser)
* EndNote Plus 1.2.1 (bibliography manager)
* Eudora 1.5.5 (email-client)
* Excel 4.0 (RAM 2048)
* Extensions Manager 2.0
* FaxSTF 2.6.1 (fax-utility)
* Fetch 3.0.1 (ftp-client)
* File Buddy 3.4.8 (handles file-types etc)
* FileMaker Pro 3
* FirstClass Client 2.5
* Flash-It 3.0.2 (screen captures)
* FreeHand 2.02
* GIFConverter 2.4.3 (opens GIFs, JPGs, TIFs, PICs; RAM 1500), Plus or later
* GIFwatcher DA 2.1.2 (opens GIFs)
* GrafEq 2.04 (1.15 is less resource demanding), Pedagoguery Software, even works under System 6
* HyperCard 2.0v2
* Illustrator 1.9.5
* InterSLIP 1.0.1
* Ircle 1.5.6 (irc-client)
* Kermit 0.99(188) (terminal emulator)
* MacDraw II 1.1v2
* MacinTalk 1.31 (this is obsolete; v2 also works)
* MacinTalk 2 (from the PlainTalk/Text-to-Speech 1.4.1 package)
* MacKnowledge (BBS; RAM 1060)
* MacLink Plus 7.5MacMinix 1.5.10.7 (UNIX-like system that runs as an app under MacOS)
* MacPPP 2.0.1
* MacSOUP (68000) 2.2b7 (off-line news-client)
* MacTCP 2.0.6
* MacTCP Watcher 1.1.0 (ping crashes 2.0)
* MacWeb 1.00A3.2 (www-client; v1.1.1 E crashes when saving prefs)
* MacWeb 2.0 (more features than in v1.00A3.2 but also slower and buggier)
* MacWrite II 1.1v1
* MacWrite Pro 1.0v4
* MaxFax 3.3.2
* MenuChoice 2.0 (hierarchical apple-menu)
* NCSA Mosaic 1.0.3 (www-client)
* NCSA Telnet 2.6 (telnet-client)
* NewsWatcher 2.1.1 (news-client)
* Norton Utilities 3.2
* PageMaker 4.0
* Persuasion 2.0
* Photoshop 1.0 (RAM 2048)
* PowerPoint 2.01
* Quark Xpress 3.32 (min RAM 2000, runs on as low as 900)
* ResEdit 2.1.3
* SCSIProbe 4.3
* ShrinkWrap 2.1 (mounts .image files etc; doesn't create them on a Plus)
* StickyClick 1.2 (sticky mousedown Ý la Windows)
* Strip fat 1.0a1 (unfattens apps by removing PPC or 68K code)
* StuffIt Deluxe 4.0
* StuffIt Expander 4.0.1 (a must-have decoder)
* StuffIt Lite 3.0.7 (crashes occasionally)
* Tex-Edit Plus 1.8.5 (text editor)
* TrueType 1.0 (TrueType INIT for Systems (6.0.5-6.0.8)
* UULite 2.0 UR (uucoder)
* Virex 5.0b (virus utility)
* Word 5.1 (RAM 2048)
* WriteNow 3.0
* YA-Base64 1.2.0 (base64 decoder; v1.2.9 crashes)
* YA-NewsWatcher 2.0.3b0 (news-client; v2.3.4 crashes)
* ZTerm 1.0.1 (terminal emulator)
* ZipIt 1.1.1 (v1.3.5 crashes PB100 with type 2 error, v1.3.8 current)
* uuUndo 1.0b5 (uudecoder)
* Xlator 1.1 (converts eols and charsets)

(look for newer versions of this software... but not too new)
hope this helps!!!

EDIT: try this site too http://www.giantmike.com/old.html

EDIT: this is even better than all of this http://www.giantmike.com/links.html

[fenian]

I think iCab (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICab) is the only web browser still developed for pre-OSX macs.

[Rhapsody]

I think iCab (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICab) is the only web browser still developed for pre-OSX macs.
Well there also Lynx, but iCab is the only graphical browser still being developed for Mac OS 9 (the current version will actually work on Mac OS 8.5 as well!).

Incidentally, if anyone here has access to iCab, I've made a test page (http://pointlessness.freehostia.com/test/icab.php) on my web site for it. I want to know whether it says "This page is being displayed as XHTML 1.1." or "This page is being displayed as HTML 4.01 Strict." in iCab.

[potrick]

This page is being displayed as XHTML 1.1.

Hope that helps.